rein

[reyn]

noun

1. Often a leather strap, fastened to each end of the bit of a bridle, by which the rider or driver controls a horse or other animal by pulling so as to exert pressure on the bit.

2. any of certain other straps or thongs forming part of a harness, as a checkrein.

3. any means of curbing, controlling, or directing; check; restraint.

4. reins, the controlling or directing power.

   the reins of government.

verb (used with object)

1. to check or guide (a horse or other animal) by exerting pressure on a bridle bit by means of the reins.

2. to curb; restrain; control.

   Synonyms: limit, bridle, check

verb (used without object)

1. to obey the reins.

   a horse that reins well.

2. to rein a horse or other animal.

rein

/ reɪn /

noun

1. (often plural) one of a pair of long straps, usually connected together and made of leather, used to control a horse, running from the side of the bit or the headstall to the hand of the rider, driver, or trainer

2. a similar device used to control a very young child

3. any form or means of control

   to take up the reins of government

4. the direction in which a rider turns (in phrases such as on a left ( or right ) rein , change the rein )

5. something that restrains, controls, or guides

6. to allow considerable freedom; remove restraints

7. to control carefully; limit

   we have to keep a tight rein on expenditure

8. with the reins held loosely so that the horse is relatively unconstrained

9. to take up the reins so that the distance between hand and bit is lessened, in order that the horse may be more collected

verb

1. (tr) to check, restrain, hold back, or halt with or as if with reins

2. to control or guide (a horse) with a rein or reins

   they reined left

Other Word Forms

• reinless adjective
• unreined adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rein¹

1300–50; (noun) Middle English rene, reine, raine < Old French re ( s ) ne < Vulgar Latin *retina, noun derivative of Latin retinēre to hold back, retain; (v.) Middle English rainen, reinen, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rein¹

C13: from Old French resne , from Latin retinēre to hold back, from _re- + tenēre to hold; see _restrain

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. give rein to, to give complete freedom to; indulge freely: Also give free rein to, give full rein to.

   to give rein to one's imagination.

2. draw rein, to curtail one's speed or progress; halt.

   The rider saw the snake and drew rein sharply.

see draw in the reins; free hand (rein) tight rein on.

Example Sentences

Joe Young of Mercer Advisors is having his clients in the Washington, D.C., area think about reining in spending over a three-month time horizon.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Global competition regulators have long struggled to rein in the world’s largest technology companies under existing antitrust rules, partly due to how rapidly digital products and markets evolve.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Neither protests nor Iranian escalation would cause him to rein in Israel.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But those measures have helped to rein in inflation and have been largely welcomed by international investors and the International Monetary Fund, a key lender to Argentina.

Read more on BBC

Walmart, which continues to dominate by offering deals to pinched consumers, said middle- and low-income shoppers are reining in spending and putting fewer discretionary items in their carts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• curb 
• repress 
• restrict 
• suppress